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dprb
New Member

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

 
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8 Replies

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

The CD/download is already available.   Online will be available in early December.

 

2021 TURBOTAX

 

CD/DOWNLOAD (This requires a full PC or Mac—-cannot be used on a mobile device)

 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/cd-download/

 

You can also purchase the CD/download from various retailers such as Costco, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Staples, Sam’s Club, etc. etc. etc.

 

This link Where can I obtain authentic TurboTax software? has a list of authorized TurboTax resellers.

 

When you use desktop software, there is an additional fee to e-file a state return.  You can avoid that fee if you print, sign and mail the state return.  The state e-file fee is $19.99 and increases in March.

 

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/system-requirements/help/minimum-system-requirements-for-turbotax-...

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

Although the downloaded program becomes available every year sometime in  November with the online following sometime  in December  they are NOT fully operational programs ... they are only beta versions.  The final program and the state programs are never fully operational until late January at the earliest.  

 

http://taxpreparationsoftware.com/

                                    

 

ANY tax software released by any company prior to about January 15 is only released for marketing and market share.  No program is complete and ready to file until the IRS approves their final forms and then individually reviews each program's implementation of the form.  And some tax situations aren't able to be filed until February or March, again mostly due to IRS delays.

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

Thank you for this information.  Is there any information about potential production challenges with the CD version?  I've been using TurboTax for many (many) years, and this is the first in memory where the usual places seems to be out of stock on the CD version.  Amazon is now projecting a December 17, 2021 shipping date for an order dated early November.  Much too late for my purposes!

 

Thank you for any information available.

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

The CD hasn't come out yet.  But you can get the download now.   The download is the same as the CD.  In fact it's preferable to download.  A lot of computers don't have CD drives anymore.  

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

Thank you for the prompt reply.  I need the CD as some family members use PCs and some use Macs.

 

I will keep waiting for now...

dprb
New Member

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

Thanks. I purchased and installed it

Anonymous
Not applicable

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

It is available on Amazon now but I find it to be useless for planning. For example, capital gains data from a 1099-DIV does not transfer over to Schedule D line 13 or the or the 1040 line 7. 

When will TurboTax 2021 be available ?

Even though the downloaded program comes out sometime in November each year it is only a beta version which will not be fully operational until  late January at the earliest (much later for some forms and the state programs).  Efiling will not be open until late January at best so do not be in a rush to file.

 

Same with the Online version which becomes functional sometime in December. 

 http://taxpreparationsoftware.com/

                                    

 

 

If you are trying to do some tax planning then use the fully operational 2020 downloaded version instead. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my mini version of  a tutorial  that should be in the downloaded program: 

 

 

What is Forms Mode?

Forms Mode lets you view and make changes to your tax forms "behind the scenes."

If you're adventurous, you can even prepare your return in Forms Mode, but we don't recommend it. You may miss obscure credits and deductions you qualify for, and you may forget to report things that will come back and haunt you later.

Forms Mode is exclusively available in the TurboTax CD/Download software. It is not available in TurboTax Online.

                  

Related Information:

                             

If you want to play around with different figures and tax scenarios without affecting your original return you can ….

  • >>>In the TurboTax CD/Download software by creating a test copy
  • 1.  Open your return in TurboTax. 
  • 2.  From the File menu, choose Save As. 
  • 3.  Give the copy a new name to distinguish it from the original (for example, by adding "Test" or "Example" to the file name). 
  • 4. Click  Save. You are now safely working in the test copy and anything you do here will not affect the original. 
  •  https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900642-how-to-make-a-test-copy-of-your-return

                        

  • >>  use the WHAT IF tool: 
  • - Click Forms Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 2 (forms view) 
  • - Click on the Open Form Icon 
  • - In the “Type a form name.” area type What-If (with the dash), click on the name of the worksheet - click on Open Form 
  • - You will see the worksheet on the right side of the screen; enter the information right into the form 
  • - To get back to interview mode - click on the Step-by-Step Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 1

 

Once you have filed shut off the auto updater function and save the return and .taxfile.

 

It's always a good idea to make a backup copy of your tax data file, in case your original gets lost or corrupted. Here's how:

  1. From the File menu in the upper-left corner of TurboTax, choose Save As (Windows) or Save (Mac).
  2. Browse to where you want to save your backup.
    • Tip: If you're saving to a portable device, save it to your computer first to prevent data corruption. Then, after completing Step 4, copy or move the backup file to your device.
  3. In the File name field, enter a name that will distinguish it from the original tax file (for example, add "Backup" or "Copy" to the file name)
  4. Click Save and then close TurboTax.
  5. Restart TurboTax and open the backup copy to make sure it's not corrupted. If you get an error, delete the backup and repeat these steps.

If you make changes to your original tax return file, repeat these steps to ensure your original and backup copies are in-synch.

Related Information:                             

 

AND save it as a PDF so you have access to a copy even if you don’t have the program still installed and operational :

AND protect the files :

 

*** Other clues to the downloaded program ***

 

In the forms mode ... double click  or right click on a box on a form to data source it ... sadly it doesn't work on all boxes. 

 

What's the meaning of all the different colors in Forms Mode?

When you look at an onscreen tax form using Forms Mode, you might wonder why one figure is blue and the one next to it is red or black.

These colors indicate the source of that data.

Color

 Meaning

Blue

You entered this data, either in the interview or Forms Mode.

Black

The program entered this data or calculated this amount.

Red

This data has either been overridden or is invalid (for example, a ZIP code that doesn't exist).

Red italics

You marked this amount as estimated.

Black italics

The program calculated this amount from an amount you marked as estimated.

Purple

This information has supporting details.

Aquamarine

This data was transferred over from last year.

Green

This data was imported from Quicken or QuickBooks.

Yellow fields (Windows)

Yellow fields allow user input. Anything you enter here shows up in blue.

 

 

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